Popeye Was on to Something!

Remember growing up and watching the famous Popeye sailor?  If Popeye found himself in a sticky situation, he would pop his spinach open and pour it straight into his mouth.  Instantly his forearms grew and he was indestructible!  Surprisingly, Popeye wasn't the first to discover spinach.  The earliest documentation of spinach was in the early eighth century AD and thought to have originated in ancient Persia, known as Iran in the modern world.  This tiny green leaf has been around the world for a while now and doesn't plan to go anywhere soon!



Spinach is no joke!  This green superhero is jam packed with vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, C, A, B6, and folate, possibly giving you more energy, immune support, and helping your night vision!  Some minerals included in this ancient leaf are calcium, potassium, and iron.  It can possibly help lower blood pressure with the potassium counteracting daily salt consumption.  However, the calcium and iron within spinach is not very useful for your body, due to other parts of the spinach making your body unable to digest those certain nutrients.  Aside from calcium and iron, your body can use all of the other great nutrients within this tiny green leaf.  With little to no calories and an adaptable flavor it can be added to a variety of recipes without changing the flavor or texture.

Some ideas of where you can add your spinach:

• smoothies
• cupcakes (What?  YES, really!)
• sandwiches
• soups
• hummus
• other dips (spinach artichoke, anyone?)
• pesto
• additional topping to your favorite pizza

How to choose spinach

• Find small leaves that are free of wilts, yellow spots, or brown edges.
• Watch out for any leaves that are wilted or have holds.
• Try to look for stems that are on the thinner side, thick stems may indicate the spinach was overgrown.
• The spinach should have a fresh, sweet smell with a springy, crisp texture.

This recipe is a fun and easy way to incorporate Popeye's secret power!

A layer of ranch spread is topped with a rainbow bed of veggies and chicken to create a healthy adn beautiful way to enjoy your lunch or snack!

Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels

Ingredients

• 4 large tortillas
• 2/3 cup whipped cream cheese, can use light
• 1 Tbsp dry ranch powder
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrrot
• 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage
• 1 cup cooked shredded chicken, optional

Instructions

1. Mix together cream cheese and ranch powder until thoroughly combined.
2. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over tortillas.
3. Leaving 1 inch border on all sides, lay out 2 Tbsp of each vegetable in rows across tortillas (in rainbow order); top with shredded chicken, if using.
4. Roll up each tortilla tightly; if ends don't stay shut you can use cream cheese to "glue" it back down.